The Invasion of Adam (Tork and Adam Book 2) by Claire Davis, Al Stewart Read Free Book Online

can swap courses and study a course you actually like. No boyfriend of mine is going to be a dropout.”
    Adam smiled at that, remembering all the times he’d said those exact words to Tork. Of course Tork knew that.
    “I’m not as clever as you. I might not be able to learn all that,” he said wryly.
    “You are plenty clever enough, mister, just lazy. What did you do instead of study?”
    Adam thought. “God, I dunno. I went out a lot at first, watched films. Wanked.” He shrugged. “How am I going to tell my parents? My dad already thinks I’m useless.”
    Adam brought his knees up, wanting to cry. But it was true. He’d never felt good enough for Dad. Didn’t get the grades to get to the top universities, didn’t make the best sports teams. Even as a little kid, he’d wanted to follow in Dad’s footsteps—going to sporting clubs he hated, studying subjects he had no interest in—because he thought Dad would like it.
    And now here he was, wanting to pack his course in and do social work.
    Tork stroked his hair. “Who could hate you? You are sensitive and well mannered.” He hugged Adam tight. Adam laughed a bit, but then tears started falling, and he couldn’t stop them.
    “Sorry,” he sniffed into Tork’s hair. “ Jeez! It’s the—hay fever. Who wants a snivelling boyfriend? It’s meant to be you with the problems.”
    “We could talk to your parents together. Just explain that you found it all too much, but it’s not too late to turn it around.”
    “Talk to them? You must be joking.” Adam shook his head vehemently, trying to imagine telling Dad about his failures. Adam had hidden all the failed tests at school, claimed injury when his sports teams did not win.
    He felt himself blush, knowing Tork was watching him carefully.
    “OK, but if you resit and pass, they don’t have to know you failed. Then you can switch course, maybe to social work. I’m sure they’d be pleased you’ve found a career to be passionate about.”
    “I have to send him a copy of the results, so there’s no way they’re not gonna find out. I’m not sure what he’d think of social work. It’s very different to law, isn’t it? And we…we don’t actually talk that much.”
    Tork shrugged. “I guessed. A few times I’ve asked you about them, but you always get this look and tense up. I knew something was not right there. Life is not always rainbows, even for princes like you.”
    “What look?”
    Tork went cross-eyed and stuck his tongue out. Adam laughed, but it led to more pathetic crying, until he knew he looked awful. Yet Tork kept kissing him, and it didn’t seem to matter as much as it used to.
    “Don’t send them the results, Adam. You’re a man now, not a child. If they don’t trust you with your own life, they don’t deserve you. Our parents don’t own us. My own dad…” He stopped.
    “But then they might not pay my fees. I won’t have any money. And they are my parents. They’re not horrible, it’s just that I’m—you know—not the son they probably wanted.” He shrugged.
    “I have no money either, but I am starting college in January. There are loans for the fees—we can get jobs too. You don’t have to feel like this. You don’t need their money. Maybe then they will find out more about the real Adam. How can they know you if you don’t tell them?”
    Adam leaned back and looked at Tork, knowing he was right. Plenty of his mates had jobs and shared rooms to save money. He was always lending them money he never saw again, buying them drinks and gifts. “But money is all I have,” he whispered, knowing he sounded utterly pathetic.
    Tork pulled him so close their noses touched. “Not true, not true, not true,” he said fiercely. “Last year when I was at the bottom, it was you who saved me. It was Mike too, and other things. But mainly, it was you. Adam Dryden, you are strong and brave, kind and thoughtful. Don’t think I don’t notice all the little things you do for